Julio Alberto Hernández (September 27, 1900 – April 2, 1999) was a
Dominican composer. He specialized in folk-music based compositions.
Biography
He was born in
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago de los Caballeros ("James, son of Zebedee, Saint James of the Knights"), often shortened to Santiago, is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic and the fourth-largest city in the Caribbean by population. It is the capital of ...
and is the nephew of P.T. Camejo. In addition to studying
solfeggio with his uncle, he also studied
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to p ...
,
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
, and the
organ
Organ and organs may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function
* Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body.
Musical instruments
...
, eventually becoming a teacher and founding the Jose O. Garcia Vila School of Music.
Moving to
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
, he was a founding member of the Sociedad de Conciertos and the Orquesta Sinfonica; he directed the latter until 1937.
His works are based on Dominican folk music, usually
merengue. The works which have met with the widest acclaim are vocal/piano or orchestral pieces.
His composition ''Caminito de Tu Casa'' was recorded by the Viva America Orchestra conducted by
Alfredo Antonini
Alfredo Antonini (May 31, 1901 – November 3, 1983) was a leading Italian-American symphony conductor and composer who was active on the international concert stage as well as on the CBS radio and television networks from the 1930s through the e ...
with
John Serry Sr.
John Serry Sr. (born John Serrapica; January 29, 1915 – September 14, 2003) was an American concert accordionist, arranger, composer, organist, and educator. He performed on the CBS Radio and Television networks and contributed to Voice ...
in 1946 for Alpha Records (# 12205A, 12205B, 12206A, 12206B).
[''The Billboard''. "Advanced Record Releases - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra", New York, Vol. 58 No. 14, 6 April 1946, P. 34 & P. 13]
''Latin American Music'' - Alfredo Antonini and Viva America Orchestra in Billboard on books.google.com
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References
* Martha Ellen Davis: 'Hernández, Julio Alberto', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 23 May 2006),
1900 births
1999 deaths
People from Santiago de los Caballeros
Merengue musicians
20th-century Dominican Republic composers
20th-century male composers
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